This course was full of excerpts of influential authors , including Machiavelli, and George Orwell, among others. Many of the texts we read focused on words of advice, the philosophy behind ideal societies, and thinking in the long-term. Professor Soder expects a lot of in-depth analysis and close-reading of the text - expect to read the short stories/excerpts multiple times! The final is 10 single-spaced (so 20) pages...it was challenging, to say the least, but also very rewarding.